Posted by
voiceoftruth on Monday, August 11, 2008 12:45:51 PM
Ingrid Schlueter has posted a four part series on Domestic Abuse in Christian homes on THE HOPE BLOG. A woman who is not afraid to address tough issues within the church, this series for Ingrid was very personal as she herself had been a victim of spousal abuse.
Praise God that she escaped the snare of domestic violence and found healing in Christ!
This is a topic that has been swept under the carpet for far too long. Has your church honestly thought about or addressed this issue?
A couple years ago I heard a radio segment on domestic abuse from a Christian perspective which included several pastor's wives who had suffered such abuse, as well as police enforcment officer with much experience in this area. Christians have "sort of" brooched this subject, but honestly not tackled it. I think it's time the subject was taken seriously.
Far too often, Christian women who are are victims of abuse are the ones who get judged by the church who takes the blame of the abuse off the abuser and places it very wrongly on the shoulders of the abused themselves.
I encourage you to read Ingrid's articles on this subject. It's time to shine the light of Christ brightly on this subject and drive out the dark evils of domestic violence, once and for all!
http://ingridschlueter.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/inherit-the-wind-when-men-hurt-their-own/
Quote...
"Today I want to address something, however, that is a topic rarely, if ever, addressed by Christians. I don't think I have ever heard a pastor preach on this subject in all the years I have spent in church. I've seen only a handful of books on the subject in all my years in radio. I want to talk about domestic abuse in supposedly Christian homes..".
http://ingridschlueter.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/inherit-the-wind-when-men-hurt-their-own-part-2/
Quote...
"Fundamental churches that have an obedience emphasis in marital counseling can drive abused women to despair. These women are told that they, not the men, are responsible for the tone in the home...Women are generally viewed as the problem in these cases, with the husband's issues being secondary to the great issue of submission in the wife."
http://ingridschlueter.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/inherit-the-wind-when-men-hurt-their-own-part-3/
"For each abused woman who manages to get out and finally protect her children and herself, there is a breaking point that gets reached. As terrible as it is to get there, it is necessary to reach bottom in order to change..."
http://ingridschlueter.wordpress.com/2008/08/10/inherit-the-wind-when-men-hurt-their-own-part-4/
"But however a woman ends up married to a man who abuses her, the fault for the abuse rests firmly on the shoulders of the man who does it. Nobody, male or female, has the right to harm another person, period, and no man has the right to lay a hand on a woman, regardless of what he thinks of her...."
Those quotes (above) from the four part series are Ingrid's words, but it's the comments of readers on the blog and their incredible testimonies (of those who have overcome, or are in the process of overcoming) that should not be ignored! I won't include quotes (from them) here, you really need to read all four parts including the readers comments for this to truly hit home in what may be a life-changing way for some people. I pray you do!
God bless!